The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
A typical cast aluminum cylinder block includes a number of cylinders arranged in a number of configurations. The improvement achieved by using aluminum alloys for casting cylinder blocks includes a higher strength to weight ratio compared with grey iron or other ferrous based casting. However, whereas the cylinder bores of grey iron castings can simply be machined and honed before assembly, most aluminum alloy blocks utilize some type of cylinder bore liner. Some examples of cylinder bore liners include cast-in or press-in place iron or steel liners. Recent developments in cylinder bore liners include techniques known as thermal-sprayed cylinder bores involving plasma transferred liner material. However, unlike parent metal cylinder bores and press-in cylinder bore liners, thermal-sprayed cylinder bores are more susceptible to cracking and delamination causing engine failure.
While the current engine block and cylinder bore design achieves the initial purpose, the design is susceptible to a specific type of failure in service which can result in a very costly repair. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an inspection system to ensure initial reliability and long term robustness while maintaining design, cost, and weight improvements.